Template:Abbr

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Template documentation
For inline cleanup templates requesting definitions or explanations, see {{Definition}} and {{Elucidate}}.

{{Abbr}} is a front-end for the HTML element <abbr>...</abbr>, the element used by most web browsers to create a tooltip indicating the meaning of an abbreviation or acronym.

Please note: Do not use {{abbr}} or <abbr> to mark up material other than abbreviations or acronyms. Using it to generate tooltips elsewhere is a misuse of the underlying HTML and causes accessibility problems.

Usage[edit]

{{abbr}} takes two unnamed parameters, in order:

  • short form: shows as text
  • long form: shows as the tooltip

A third unnamed parameter accepts the following values:

Named parameters:

  • class: Adds a CSS class.
  • id: Adds an HTML id; this must be unique on the entire page.
  • style: Adds a style attribute.

Examples[edit]

Markup Renders as
{{abbr|MSLP|Mean Sea Level Pressure}} 
MSLP

When hovering over the text "MSLP" then something like Mean Sea Level Pressure will appear as a tooltip in most browsers. Popular screen readers, used by visually impaired readers, display the long form in a different way.

Markup Renders as
{{abbr|UK|United Kingdom|class=country-name|id=foobar}} 
UK

Accessibility concerns[edit]

This template is intended for use with abbreviations; it is not intended to be a tool for generating tooltips. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines contain guidelines for using the <abbr> element generated by this template; see section H28: Providing definitions for abbreviations by using the abbr and acronym elements.

Redirects[edit]

The following template names redirect to this one:

Template data[edit]

This is the TemplateData for this template used by TemplateWizard, VisualEditor and other tools.

TemplateData for Abbr

This template defines an abbreviation or acronym by creating a tooltip that is displayed on mouse-over.

Template parameters[Edit template data]

ParameterDescriptionTypeStatus
Short form1

Shows as text

Linerequired
Long form2

Shows as a tooltip

Stringrequired
IPA/Unicode3

If it is filled with 'IPA' or 'i', applies {{IPA}} to fix strings in the International Phonetic Alphabet; if it is filled instead with 'Unicode' or 'u', applies {{unicode}} to fix strings in Unicode, both rendered in Internet Explorer on Windows XP

Lineoptional
Classclass

Adds an HTML class

Lineoptional
IDid

Adds an HTML id

Lineoptional
stylestyle

Add CSS style

Stringoptional

See also[edit]

  • {{abbrlink}}, a version of this template that includes wikilinking.
  • {{discreet abbreviation}}, a version of this template that removes the dotted underlining otherwise shown below the abbreviation/acronym.
  • {{R-phrase}}, which generates the abbreviation (the code number) for an R-phrase (a "Risk phrase", e.g. "Explosive when dry"). The R-phrase itself and a link to List of R-phrases is included in a tooltip.
  • {{clarify}}, which produces the inline superscript:  Template:Fake clarify